Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Moochie]

The banty chick was born. I have no idea where it's shell pieces went off to and it has a small cut near it's ear. I don't think I should be too concerned about that though. Not sure if I should take the dummy eggs away though... She seems more comfortable with them but I don't want them hurting the chick. I also have a broody silkie! Hey more chicks possibly on the way. I hear silkies make great mommas.. She's acting very anti-human towards me though. She sees my hand coming out to pet her and she makes a weird noise and runs like crazy. It's alright, it's cute.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

3rd time broody at 9 mos old?! Did she start in the egg?

She's a barnyard mix from my father-in-law, started laying at 6 months. She laid an egg every day with a day off occasionally! Her first broody episode was 2 weeks from when she started laying, last 2 weeks and we broke her. 2nd episode lasted 3 weeks, she was very stubborn and wouldn't break. On Tuesday, she was jumping from the nest for treats quickly. Yesterday, she ignored the new treats and the same today. When I got home from work today, I went to the shed and removed the freshly laid eggs from under Nutmeg. I placed her near the food and put 6 of the freshest LF eggs in the nest. She didn't eat, just sat in the litter puffed up like a tom turkey She then hopped up into the nest, looked at the eggs and got comfortable. I just checked on her to see if she was still on the nest, she was... boy was she pissy, she was making a shrieking noise before I even went into the coop area.

 

[upcdayz]

Please help!

I have group of 7 broody Serama hens who are all bunched up together in a pen in the garage. They have been persistently broody for going on three months now. A few weeks ago I discovered two chicks that had almost hatched but had died. I suspect they were inadvertently killed by the broody hens fighting over them.

Tonight I candled more eggs and two of them have internally pipped. I hear them chirping inside the eggs, and the eggs are rolling around with the chicks inside them. I made a new nesting area, placed the eggs in there and tried without success to get any of the hens to stay in there on the eggs. None of them would have any part of it. They each went back to their original nesting/brooding area with all the other hens. My question is, how can I get just one hen to sit on the eggs so they can hatch without getting tossed around and killed like the others? I don't have a hatcher, so I have to rely solely on the hens to hatch their chicks out.

Thanks for any replies.

Deanne

 

[LilyD]

I have my first ever official broody hen. I was worried because it was kind of cool out still getting in the 20's and 30's up here in New England but I finally put 6 eggs under her today. I will keep my fingers crossed that they hatch okay even though it's cold. She doesn't want to get off the nest at all even to eat or drink. I have been putting food and water right in with her and that seems to help now we will just have to see if the little fuzzys are warm enough.

 

[ThePendragon]

wow that all looks really cool! I want to hatch some egg but arent sure how to tell if the eggs are fertile without breaking them open, or if the hen will care for the eggs cause i dont have a incubator and cant afford one.

 

[PtldChick]

upcdayz,

Take all the other hens but one out of the area they are in and fence it off so the others can't get back in. Crate/cage them if you have to...that may break them of being broody, too, if you have no nest material in there for them, just bare floor/wire.

 

[PtldChick]

wow that all looks really cool! I want to hatch some egg but arent sure how to tell if the eggs are fertile without breaking them open, or if the hen will care for the eggs cause i dont have a incubator and cant afford one.

Start out with local mixed flock eggs, usually pretty inexpensive, so if it doesn't work out, you haven't invested a big bundle. That's what I'm doing as it's both my and my broody's first time. I got a dozen mixed bantam eggs from someone off CL for $5. Day 11 and she's still sitting strong.

If you have your own rooster and you see him mating your girls, you can assume their eggs are fertile. You can always break one open to double-check.

 

[ThePendragon]

yep mine own hens and roosters

but I don't want mixes with my Brahmas I do have a Brahma roo though.

I'm glad there are other people that aren't using a incubator.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The banty chick was born. I have no idea where it's shell pieces went off to and it has a small cut near it's ear. I don't think I should be too concerned about that though. Not sure if I should take the dummy eggs away though... She seems more comfortable with them but I don't want them hurting the chick. I also have a broody silkie! Hey more chicks possibly on the way. I hear silkies make great mommas.. She's acting very anti-human towards me though. She sees my hand coming out to pet her and she makes a weird noise and runs like crazy. It's alright, it's cute.

Take out the dummy eggs so mama can take care of her chick. and Congrats... and yes silkies make great broodys and mamas.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you have a roo then i am sure he is getting the job done.
you'll have to watch and see if your Brahma hens want to brood though Mine never have gone broody and I have had them going on 3 years but they are hatchery stock and I think that makes a difference.

yep mine own hens and roosters

but I don't want mixes with my Brahmas I do have a Brahma roo though.

I'm glad there are other people that aren't using a incubator.

If you don't get a broody from your brahmas, try getting one hen from another breed that is well known for being broody and let her hatch for you.